Voyager 1 passes Saturn

FILE - SEPTEMBER 12: Scientists at NASA have declared Voyager 1 to become the first human-made object to leave the solar system and enter interstellar space. Launched in 1977, the Voyager probe was originally designed as a four-year mission to explore Saturn, and today is estimated to be 12 billion miles from Earth. An artist's impression of NASA's Voyager 1 space probe passing behind the rings of Saturn, using cameras and radio equipment to measure how sunlight is affected as it shines between the ring particles. The image was produced in 1977, before the craft was launched, and depicts events due to take place in 1980. (Photo by NASA/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) ** TCN OUT **

FILE - SEPTEMBER 12: Scientists at NASA have declared Voyager 1 to become the first human-made object to leave the solar system and enter interstellar space. Launched in 1977, the Voyager probe was originally designed as a four-year mission to explore Saturn, and today is estimated to be 12 billion miles from Earth. An artist's impression of NASA's Voyager 1 space probe passing behind the rings of Saturn, using cameras and radio equipment to measure how sunlight is affected as it shines between the ring particles. The image was produced in 1977, before the craft was launched, and depicts events due to take place in 1980. (Photo by NASA/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) ** TCN OUT ** (NASA / Getty Images)

FILE - SEPTEMBER 12: Scientists at NASA have declared Voyager 1 to become the first human-made object to leave the solar system and enter interstellar space. Launched in 1977, the Voyager probe was originally designed as a four-year mission to explore Saturn, and today is estimated to be 12 billion miles from Earth. An artist's impression of NASA's Voyager 1 space probe passing behind the rings of Saturn, using cameras and radio equipment to measure how sunlight is affected as it shines between the ring particles. The image was produced in 1977, before the craft was launched, and depicts events due to take place in 1980. (Photo by NASA/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) ** TCN OUT **NASA / Getty Images